Protect Me Always: Dedicated to xXWolfManxX
by BloodyEmeraldRose
Summary: Sarah and her brother, Tidus, have found themselves transported to another world known as Spira. There they meet the summoner Yuna and her guardians. The quiet Ronso Kimahri instantly catches Sarah's attention, but will she be able to get this mysterious individual to open up to her? And where will their journey lead them in the end?
1. Chapter 1

(A/N: Sorry this took so long to get posted xXWolfMan95xX, but I hope you enjoy it. I agree Kimahri needs more love too since he was such a cool character. And I figured I'd start closer to where he first appears so Sarah could meet him sooner. :3)

* * *

 _So then it wasn't a dream_. _I really am in another world_ ….

Ocean blue eyes gazed around the good sized hut after the person they belonged to had sat up on the small pink and green sheeted bed where she had previously been resting, a sigh leaving her lips.

Sarah still couldn't fathom how this had happened, but she had been whisked away to another world known as Spira alongside her younger brother, Tidus, after their home had been attacked by a monster known as Sin. Not only was this world completely different from Zanarkand with its rather unusual customs, but it seemed much more dangerous as well. And if it hadn't been for a man called Wakka who had offered to help them after they had washed ashore on the island known as Besaid, they would probably be completely lost in this unfamiliar land.

Another sigh left Sarah's lips while she ran a hand through her long brown locks, and she glanced over at Tidus who was sprawled out on a rather short couch, snoring away as the slightly amusing sight made her chuckle and shake her head.

"Tidus! Tidus! I hate to wake you, but it looks like Wakka's gone," Sarah called out, gently shaking the blond haired teen once she was beside him.

"Ugh…But it's too early for blitz ball practice, sis…." Tidus moaned out, turning in his sleep and right off the couch where he let out a yelp of surprise.

"You alright?" Sarah asked through light giggles, holding out a hand to help the goofball up with.

"Yeah…Man, I was having such a weird dream…!" Tidus sighed out, after he was back on his feet. He stretched while letting out a long yawn before looking around. "Where did Wakka go?"

"I'm not sure, but I thought he said he'd have supper ready for us when we awoke," Sarah said softly, placing a finger against her lip thoughtfully. "Hope nothing happened…."

Tidus frowned at this, running out of the hut with Sarah close behind. Seeing no one else in the small village around made things seem a bit more unnerving, and the two headed for the temple; the largest place in the village and the most likely place where everyone would be.

 _I'll never get over how mysterious this place is_ Sarah thought when entering the grand and barely lit building. The statues standing around were a bit on the creepy side, yet the temple was rather soothing to the blue eyed girl mainly because of the gentle hymn that resounded throughout the place.

Sarah's attention turned off the people who were praying in front of the statues or whispering in panicked voices, and onto Wakka who seemed to be talking to the head priest of the temple. Yet the priest walked away when Tidus and her approached them. She figured it was because Tidus and her had gotten close to Sin and had apparently been affected by his toxin. At least, that was the lie they were having to go with. It was more believable than trying to tell people they came from Zanarkand, a place that no longer existed in this world, even if it hurt seeing people looking at them with both pity and fear….

"Is something wrong?" Tidus asked with a hint of concern.

"The summoner hasn't returned from the trial," Wakka said in a murmur, a deep frown on his face. "Well, apprentice summoner, really…"

"Ah!" Tidus said, still not quite sure what was going on, though.

"There's a room in there called the Cloister of Trials. Beyond is where the apprentice summoner prays," Wakka continued to explain, looking over at a staircase that led to a door the head priest had previously been blocking. "If the prayer is heard, the apprentice becomes a full fledged summoner, remember?"

"Eh…So, someone is in there somewhere and they haven't come back out. Right, I got it," Tidus said with an understanding nod.

"A days already gone by,"

"Is it particularly…dangerous in there?" Tidus questioned with a small frown.

"Sometimes, yes." Wakka affirmed in a quiet tone.

"Can't you go in and help?" Sarah asked, a frown of concern appearing on her own fair features.

Wakka just shook his head and placed his hand on his hip. "There's already guardians in there. Besides, its forbidden."

Sarah just let out a small huff of frustration, surprising both Tidus and Wakka when she started to run up the stairs, but turned to look back at Wakka with an incomprehensible expression.

"Forbidden or not, if someone's in danger, you should at least try to help them instead of just standing around doing nothing!"

"The precepts must be obeyed!" the priest yelled out, looking at Sarah like he had never met someone like her before.

Sarah just ignored him and the shocked gasps from the villagers, running inside of the trial grounds. When coming to a small area, the walls covered with strange glowing symbols that she couldn't recognize, she wondered if maybe her decision had been too rash?

"Wow, sis! I never expected you to do something crazy like that!" Tidus exclaimed, causing the brown haired girl to jump since she hadn't even heard him enter. "But guess we think the same. There was no way I was going to just stand around either!"

Sarah placed a hand on her chest and smiled faintly. "Well, maybe I got a little carried away, but I just can't understand these silly laws of theirs…I just hope we can figure out how to reach the summoner…."

"This place doesn't look too difficult to solve," Tidus mused, walking over and touching what looked like a door, only to jump back a bit startled when it glowed and a green glyph appeared where the words on the far wall had once been.

Sarah tilted her head, touching the glyph where a light gasp left her lips since the wall violently shook before opening to reveal a hidden passageway. She exchanged a look with her brother before the two of them nodded; Tidus taking the lead as they headed further into the Cloister of Trials.

Using spheres to help them overcome the trials, the two soon made it to a circular area, yet a familiar voice turned their attention off the pedestal that was sinking into the ground and would no doubt lower them to another room.

"I didn't expect you to just run off like that, Sarah," Wakka said with a shake of his head, causing the young woman to rub awkwardly at the back of her neck. Seeing the slight guilty looks on their faces, Wakka sighed before moving to stand beside Tidus. "Hey, its okay. Only summoners, apprentice summoners, and their guardians can enter here. It's a tradition. Very important."

"So what about you?" Tidus inquired, peering at Wakka with a raised brow.

"Me? I'm a guardian." Wakka answered, shaking his head at the confused look on both of the siblings faces.

More than likely because of Wakka's arrival, the decorative red floor gave off a vibrant glow before slowly beginning to descend.

"Summoners go on a pilgrimage to pray at every temple in Spira," Wakka spoke up, stepping off the platform when it came to a shaky halt. "Guardians protect them. The guardians in there now…one of them's got a short fuse, and who knows what the other's thinking. Well, now that we've come this far…might as well go all the way!"

The first thing Sarah saw when they entered the surprisingly large room was a stern looking woman with her dark hair styled in cornrows that were pulled up into a tight bun, garbed in a black and grey dress that hung low to display her cleavage, sitting on some steps. She was beautiful, but from the look in her ruby red eyes, she clearly wasn't happy to see them.

"What are you doing here? Didn't think we'd be able to handle it?" she questioned coolly, her eyes locked directly on Wakka.

"No, it's uh…it's just…" Wakka tried to explain, but the tan skinned male looked completely lost for words as he ran a hand through his oddly orange colored hair. He leaned in closer to Tidus and whispered, "See, I told you she gets mad easily."

Sarah laughed lightly when Tidus and Wakka both froze up when the woman was upon them, blinking as her attention turned on the other figure in the room. Her eyes slightly widened seeing a blue furred male who had a very lion-like appearance. His white hair was pulled up into a ponytail, with braids on the sides, while his beard was also pure white. He was taller than anyone she had ever met before, not to mention quite muscular, and he seemed to be wearing nothing but leather straps that held up his armor that had a skull motif upon it.

When his piercing yellow eyes met hers, she couldn't help but blush and shyly look away since she knew it was rude of her to just stare at him like that, and she realized Wakka seemed to be trying to explain who Tidus and her were.

"So Lu, this is Tidus and his sister, Sarah. They washed up on shore and I've been helping them out. Seems they got attacked by Sin, so they forgot they weren't supposed to be in here…Anyways you two, this is Lulu and the quiet guy over there is Kimahri."

The woman known as Lulu seemed to be analyzing the two of them, wondering whether she could believe Wakka's words or not, but her attention, as did everyone's in the room, turned on the only door in the room that was slowly rising up.

A girl with shoulder length brown hair wearing clothes that reminded Sarah somewhat of a priestess, shakily emerged from the room. A hand moved to her exhausted looking face as she stumbled forward, and horrified gasps reverberated around the room as the young woman slowly began to fall forward.

Kimahri furrowed his brows, about to rush forward, but he was surprised when the girl Wakka had called Sarah had actually beaten him, gently catching Yuna in her arms. He had never expected someone to be quicker than him, especially a young human female.

"Are you alright?" Sarah asked in concern, wondering what the girl had to go through to end up in this state? She looked to be only around Tidus' age too….

Yuna gave a gentle nod, smiling gratefully at her unknown savior as she slowly stood up, dusting herself off before swishing her hair backwards; beaming at everyone in the room. "I've done it. I have become a summoner!"

Sarah smiled as the young summoner ran straight for Lulu who actually wore a small smile on her purple colored lips as she gently patted Yuna's head like an older sister would, but she blinked when Kimahri approached her, causing Sarah's cheeks to grow warm since it almost seemed like he was studying her before he was holding out a hand to help her down the steps.

"Thank you." Sara said, sending the male a kind smile before taking his hand, surprised by how warm and soft it was. The feeling oddly enough sent a shiver down her back, not realizing Kimahri was experiencing the same sensation.

* * *

"I still can't believe that's the summoner. Here I thought they would be old geezers," Tidus mumbled when Sarah and him followed Yuna and the others back through the trial toward the exit.

Sarah just chuckled seeing Tidus staring at Yuna's back in a slight daze, their group being met with a large crowd who instantly began doing the odd prayer that seemed custom here when seeing their new summoner. It made Sarah wonder how they would feel if they knew it was just a simple gesture people did to wish their favorite team good luck during blitz ball tournaments in her world?

"I'll put your transgression aside for now, let us celebrate the birth of a summoner!" the priest said when Sarah walked past him before he followed the others who had headed outside.

Sarah stuck her tongue out at the priest which made Tidus snicker before the two were heading outside where they saw Yuna standing in the middle of the village square. Sarah couldn't help but glance curiously over at Kimahri who seemed to be staying away from the crowd, but seeing Wakka with his arm locked around Tidus' neck as he dragged him to the front of the crowd, she followed after the two; not realizing Kimahri's orbs were watching her with curiosity.

"Ready!" Wakka called out to Yuna who's back was turned to them.

"Okay," Yuna replied back briefly, walking forward a few steps as she extended her arms, and the staff she held, above her head before bringing the staff down slowly in front of her, turning her body where the staff was now behind her as a magic circle appeared beneath her form.

Sarah watched in awe as a wyvern like creature appeared in the sky, soaring above them and causing the brown haired girl to slightly wince from the harsh gust of wind it caused before the creature was landing nearby its summoner.

Yuna hesitated for moment before reaching out to gently stroke the aeon's red feathered head, which let out a gutteral purr as it moved it's head in content from the affection it was receiving.

Sarah couldn't help but feel fascinated by the creature which she heard Yuna call Valefor, wishing she could touch it herself. Though when the aeon's eyes met hers, she couldn't help but blink as the creature actually approached her, causing the people around to back up in slight fear.

The aeon locked eyes with Sarah, and she could see the gentleness within them, keeping her own eyes on Valefor to show she wasn't afraid. Yet she didn't expect the aeon to actually nuzzle into her chest, and the affectionate gesture made her giggle while she hugged Valefor's head back.

"It seems she likes you," Yuna voiced a bit surprised, but a smile appeared on her face as she approached the two, gently resting her hand on the side of her aeon's neck.

"I'm glad. She's very beautiful," Sarah said, smiling back at Yuna before scratching lightly at Valefor's beak before the wyvern was floating up into the sky before disappearing.

The shock that had fallen over the crowd faded, and loud cheers erupted as Wakka and Lulu were the first to approach Yuna, praising her for mastering such a feat.

Sarah smiled faintly noticing that poor Yuna seemed a bit overwhelmed when the rest of the village surrounded her, glancing over at Tidus who was staring at her with an open mouth, and she giggled at this. Feeling another pair of eyes on her, she found that it was Kimahri, who also seemed a bit taken a back. Yet when he actually cracked a faint smile, Sarah blushed and sent him a small smile back, looking away and strangely feeling a warmness creeping up inside of her.


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N: I'm so, so very sorry I took forever to post the next chapter, xXWolfManxX! I've just been super busy, but I hope the double chapters make up for the long delay. ^^ And if there's anything you'd like me to change, just let me know. :))

* * *

Night had fallen over Besaid and the villagers had created a large bonfire in the center of the small village while preparing delicious food to celebrate the birth of their summoner.

While Tidus was introducing himself to Wakka's teammates, Sarah had gone to sit down on the ground, enjoying the warmth that came from the fire since her arms were getting a little chilly. She was surprised though when Yuna came to sit beside her, a kind smile on the teenagers features.

"Your names Sarah, right? I'm Yuna. Lulu told me this is your first time in Besaid. I hope your enjoying your stay here?"

"I am. This place is very relaxing compared to the activeness you'd find in Zanarkand," Sarah mused with a small laugh. Realizing what she said, she covered her mouth when seeing Yuna's eyes growing a little wider. "I-I mean, because I was hit with Sin's toxin, it feels like I'm from Zanarkand…!"

Yuna gently chewed on her bottom lip, pausing a moment before asking, "Could you tell me how you ended up here?"

"I'm…not so sure that's a good idea. I can't even understand what happened myself," Sarah admitted while staring down at the light blue jeans she wore.

 _This whole ordeal still feels like a dream_ ….

"Please? I'd like to learn more about you and…him?" Yuna trailed off, her uniquely colored eyes gazing over at Tidus before they quickly reverted back on the fire.

Sarah smiled softly noticing a hint of pink on the girls cheeks, wondering if Yuna had developed a little crush on her brother?

"Okay, but I'm sure Lulu and Wakka won't be happy knowing I'm filling your head with what sounds like a fantasy," Sarah mused, tapping at her chin. "...It all started on the night of my brothers big blitzball game. This game was incredibly important to Tidus, he was finally going to outshine our father who was a famous blitzer himself, yet I had a long shift at the hospital where I worked, so I was running late…."

* * *

Lightly panting, a girl garbed in a white shirt with a sleeveless black hoodie that had the Zanarkand symbol printed on the back, wearing a pair of light blue jeans and brown boots that went up mid-length, ran down the practically deserted highway.

"I knew I should have asked for today off," the girl known as Sarah said with a light frown, peering up at a billboard that displayed her father's face. He had that smug look on his rugged tan features that made her frown deepen. "If you were around, I wonder if you would even bother showing up to support him…?"

Sarah shook her head to get rid of the gloom that was creeping up on her, continuing to run as she could see the blitzball stadium in the distance. And she could hear screams coming from that direction, yet they didn't sound like screams or cries of elation, but of fear?

"What…?" Sarah whispered, gasping when seeing what looked like explosions hitting the nearby buildings along with massive tidal waves.

She was paralyzed with fear for a moment, just standing there and watching the destruction while people pushed past her in clear panic. If Tidus' image hadn't flashed through her mind, she probably never would have moved; suddenly running toward the stadium at a speed she didn't know she possessed.

"Tidus?!" Sarah choked out when seeing her younger brother coming toward her direction, tackling him in a hug. "I'm so glad you're safe…!"

"S-same here, sis! But you're kind of squeezing the life outta me right now…." Tidus said weakly while patting at the brown haired girls back to get her to release him.

Sarah gave him an apologetic smile and pulled away, wiping a stray tear out of her eye. Noticing a familiar figure quietly watching them, she perked up. "Auron? What are you doing here?"

Auron had been their guardian ever since Sarah and Tidus' mom had died and their dad had vanished for unknown reasons. Though Auron wasn't the type to stick around and came and went as he pleased where the two rarely saw him. Yet he was always there whenever they needed him.

"We were just about to search for you. Come." Auron said calmly, not looking fazed despite the chaos going on around them.

Sarah exchanged a confused look with her brother whom only shrugged-the two sibling's following after the mysterious dark haired male as he headed in a direction most people seemed to be running from.

"Hey, not this way!" Tidus exclaimed since they were supposed to be trying to escape the city, not heading further into it.

"Look." Auron said impassively, turning his head to the side.

Sarah turned her gaze on what Auron seemed so focused on, only to let out a startled cry when seeing a huge sphere of water hovering nearby.

"We called it Sin,"

"Sin?" Tidus asked in a soft, perplexed voice.

A tentacle creature appeared nearby, shooting what looked like pods everywhere as they opened up to reveal monstrous creatures neither Tidus or Sarah had ever seen before. The best way to describe them was bird-like creatures with three glowing teal eyes covered in grey scales with teal markings, that walked on four insect-like limbs.

Tidus was trying to swat the creatures away, only to fall backwards when one nearly managed to bite him.

"Take it," Auron said, holding out a blood red sword that was jagged and had a large crack in the middle. He then turned to Sarah, pulling out a sleek blue sword that he handed to her. "Gifts from Jecht."

"Our father?" Sarah murmured out, staring at the long, thin blade that shined beautifully.

"I hope you both know how to use them," Auron mused, pulling out his own katana when Tidus recklessly swung the weapon, only to fall back down yet again.

Sarah had honestly never held a blade, unless you counted a scalpel, and she gripped onto the hilt of the sharp weapon with both hands; managing to cut through the fiends alongside Auron and Tidus.

Just when it seemed they had managed to slice through the almost never ending array of ponds that kept shooting down, their path was soon being blocked by the tentacle monster that had made the creatures.

"Ah!" Sarah cried out in pain when the fiend created a black ball of energy that damaged them all.

"You alright, Sarah?!" Tidus called out in concern.

"Y-yeah. I'll be fine." Sarah reassured through small pants, though that attack had left her feeling a bit weakened.

"Try to hang in there." Auron said, throwing her a potion that instantly caused the ocean eyed girl to feel much better. He knew this battle would be difficult on the both of them, but it was the only way they would learn. "When your strength grows in battle, so does your attacks."

Auron demonstrated by jumping up into the air before jamming his sword into the ground; his technique causing large explosions that unleashed damage to all of the fiends around.

"W-wow!" Sarah gasped out in amazement, never having seen someone fight the way Auron could.

"T-that doesn't look so hard!" Tidus huffed out, feeling a strange power growing inside of him as he took on more damage. He suddenly flipped toward the fiend, slashing it straight down with his sword before running back over to where Sarah and Auron stood with a proud grin at his accomplishment.

 _I wonder if I could do an attack like theirs_ Sarah pondered, watching another tentacle disappear.

Seeing that both Tidus and Auron were becoming exhausted from the fight, Sarah felt that same power Tidus had experienced rising up within her, and a glow surrounded her body where she instinctively clapped her hands, healing all of their energy.

"Whoa! My damage is completely gone?!" Tidus gawked out while he examined his form.

"And this battle is over." Auron said coolly with a smirk, rushing at the enemy and giving one final slash that caused the fiend to explode before it faded away into colorful particles.

Not able to catch a break, they continued to make their way down the eerily deserted road, and Tidus turned to glance at the billboard of his father that was flashing. "What are you laughing at, old man?" he scoffed, frowning when Auron suddenly stopped. "Auron! Come on! Let's get out of here!"

"We're expected,"

"Are you sure you're not psychic, Auron?" Sarah mused with a tired smile when more fiends were falling from the sky to block their path. She wasn't certain how long they could keep fighting like this.

"Hmph. This could be bad," Auron muttered, glancing over at a tankard that was hanging over the highway and dangerously crackling with electricity. "That. Knock it down."

"Huh?" Tidus exclaimed, looking over at Auron confused.

"Trust me. You'll see."

Doing as Auron instructed, Sarah and Tidus focused on striking the tankard while ignoring the enemies, and after the fifth hit, the object fell into the water below-creating a massive blast wave that knocked down the very building that displayed their fathers image.

The road began to collapse before them, and the two siblings were rushing down the crumbling path; jumping to reach a higher ledge just as the place they had previously been on fell to the water below.

"A-Auron!" Sarah shakily cried out, struggling to hang on. Her sea-foam orbs widened seeing a vortex forming above them that was sucking the nearby objects inside of it.

"You are sure?" Auron asked, gazing up into the gaping hole. He stared down at Tidus and Sarah for a moment before easily lifting the two up by their collars. "This is it. This is your story. It all begins here."

Sarah let out a scream when feeling herself being pulled into the vortex; the bright light that came from it so stifling, that she welcomed the sudden darkness that overtook her.

* * *

Yuna gently chewed at her lip when Sarah paused in her story, clearly seeing the saddened look in the woman's eyes. "I'm so sorry…I've probably made you remember something you'd rather forget…."

Sarah only shook her head, turning to give Yuna a faint smile. "No. It actually feels nice to get this off of my chest," she reassured, looking up at the twinkling sky. "After I had regained consciousness, Tidus and I had found ourselves floating in the sea in the middle of what appeared to be ancient ruins, completely alone."

Sarah frowned to herself remembering she had dreamed before that, though it had felt more like a memory. She had been floating in mid-air while the city of Zanarkand had been around her. In the very center had been a platform where an eleven year old version of herself was arguing with her father. Her dream had always been to be a nurse; someone who could help people, yet Jecht wanted her to become a famous blitzball player like him. This had caused their relationship to become strained, and she refused to speak to him until he accepted her dream.

Jecht vanished without ever saying he believed that his daughter could achieve what meant the most to her; the two of them having never repaired their relationship, and this was something Sarah would rather have forgotten than remember….

Realizing there was nothing more to do but swim and traverse through the broken ruins when they were able to walk upon them, the siblings pushed forward despite feeling exhausted. To make matters worse, they had been forced to deal with a terrifying sea beast that nearly devoured them if Tidus hadn't discovered an opening for them to escape into.

"I can't believe we managed to survive that," Sarah breathed out, a hand resting on her heavily beating heart when they walked into a large circular room.

"Cold…." Tidus shivered out, rubbing his hands together to try and give himself some warmth.

Sarah frowned since it would be pretty sad if they froze to death after escaping from an ordeal like that, noticing the remains of a campfire nearby. "Lets see if we can find some flint and tender. We might be able to start a fire."

Tidus nodded, the two splitting up to look for the items. Considering the water that was leaking all around, it was amazing that they could even find the items they needed completely dry, but Tidus managed to get a nice fire going for them.

"Ugh! I need food!" Tidus complained, falling back on the floor while his stomach grumbled in agreement.

"Well, we could always go fishing," Sarah mused with a light laugh. Tidus only snorted at this since the opening they had come through had completely been blocked by rubble, but he appreciated his sister trying to lighten the mood.

A sudden burst of lightning startled both of them, and before they could worry about the fire that was starting to die, the sight of a jagged legged creature with a long scythe-like tail, came rushing toward them down the walls.

"Give me a break…." Tidus groaned out, pulling out his weapon.

Sarah chewed on the inside of her mouth before drawing her own blade, not sure if Tidus and her even had the strength to deal with this fiend. She wasn't even certain if she could perform her healing technique she had learned.

Just when it seemed like this battle was going nowhere, a door that had previously been shut was suddenly blasted open where a group of people wearing rather unusual clothing entered carrying guns.

The only girl amongst them approached the two siblings, motioning silently with her hand for the monster to bring it on before getting into a fighting stance.

"You on our side? Cool!" Tidus chirped with a large grin.

Sarah breathed out a sigh of relief since with the help of the unknown girl tossing a series of grenades along with their own attacks, the creature was soon defeated. "Thank you," she expressed, turning to the girl with a smile.

Tidus' eyes widened for a moment when she removed her goggles, surprised to see that the girl looked around his age. "I'll say! That was close!" he sighed out, crouching down out of exhaustion.

"Hey! What are you-!" Sarah yelled out when the men had surrounded Tidus and her, one of them grabbing Tidus painfully by his hair.

The men were talking in a language Sarah couldn't understand, but her eyes widened when the guy holding Tidus pulled out a knife and placed it near his throat. And if it hadn't been for the girl shouting something, she didn't want to think what could have happened to them.

"Cunno." the girl said in an apologetic voice when leaning against Tidus, hitting him in the gut and knocking him out cold.

"Tidus!" Sarah exclaimed, only to feel a sharp blow to the back of her neck, causing her to lose consciousness as well where she knew no more.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey? Hey! Can you hear me?"

A light groan left Sarah's lips, and her eyes slowly fluttered open. It took a moment for her view to adjust before she noticed Tidus sitting on his knees beside her, a look of concern in his bright blue orbs.

"Tidus?" Sarah murmured. A frown formed on her lips after she had sat up, noticing the men from before standing around them with their guns lifted up in warning, and even worse, they appeared to be on a ship out in the middle of the sea.

The green eyed girl from before was suddenly approaching them alongside a muscular man with his blond hair styled in a Mohawk. From what Sarah could tell, he had multiple earrings on both ears while he was garbed in grey pants that were held up by red and blue suspenders, while his exposed chest was covered with blue tattoo's.

He was a little intimidating, to say the least.

"Caynir res!" he said, making strange gestures with his arms while letting out a series of grunts.

"Right. Whatever," Tidus mumbled, having no clue what this guy was implying.

"Tu oui hud cbayg?" the man said, pulling out a pair of goggles where he pointed at Tidus and then at himself.

"I said I don't understand!" Tidus said with exasperation, only to gulp when the guns were being moved closer to him.

"Fyed! He said you can stay if you make yourself useful," the young girl quickly clarified.

"You…you understand me?" Tidus gasped out, only to painfully get hit across his head. "All right, I'll work!"

The girl smiled before placing her hands behind her back. "We found some ancient ruins right beneath us. Its not active now, but there should still be some power left. We're gonna go down there and activate it…and then we should be able to salvage the big prize!"

"So you want Tidus to go back underwater with you?" Sarah said with a small sweat drop, only to slap her head when Tidus jumped overboard. She could understand they didn't have much of a choice in the matter, but still….

"Are you going to come too?" the still unknown girl asked.

"I might as well. I wouldn't want Tidus giving you a hard time down there." Sarah mused, her words causing the blond haired girl to giggle before they were both diving into the water.

Sarah had to admit traveling further down into the bottom of the sea was a bit eerie, especially with the glowing red lights coming from the ruins that looked like multiple eyes staring back at them. Though the inside made her eyes widen since some of this technology looked like what you'd find in Zanarkand. Maybe this world wasn't so different from her own after all.

It would have been peaceful just to explore if it wasn't for the piranha's that had made the ruins their home. And once Tidus had gotten the power to completely restart, an octopus-like fiend blocked the small group, where they had to take it down before they could even leave.

Even though she had enjoyed seeing the dark waters completely lit up, Sarah was relieved when they were back on the ship as she panted lightly once they were on board. She couldn't understand how Tidus still had the energy to walk around and complain.

"Those guys are real pieces of work! After we helped, their just going to leave us out in the cold?!" Tidus huffed, since one of the men had pushed him when he had tried to enter the door they had gone through.

"Well we are technically prisoners. Our well being is probably the last thing on their minds," Sarah said with a shake of her head.

Though she was surprised to see the young girl carrying two trays of food in her hands where she placed them down in front of Tidus and her.

"Whoa! Right on!" Tidus cheered, devouring the food like he hadn't eaten in days.

"Thank you," Sarah said with a faint smile, eating on her food a bit slower where she wouldn't end up getting choked unlike someone else.

"It's cause you eat too fast!" the girl scolded when Tidus snatched a satchel of water from her.

Tidus only laughed, standing up to stretch before he was turning back to the girl with a warm smile. "Hello there. What is your name?"

"Rikku," she answered in an innocent manner, only to look slightly taken aback when Tidus excitedly grabbed her hands due to the fact that she understood him. Though when he asked why she's hadn't said anything earlier, Rikku only gave a small smile and replied, "I didn't get the chance to. Everyone thought oui were a fiend."

"Uh…we?"

"Oh, 'oui' means you," Rikku explained before moving to rest against the side of the ship.

"Well, its nice to meet you, Rikku. My names Sarah and this is my brother, Tidus," the brunette introduced, moving to stand next to the girl. "But um, who are you and those men exactly?"

"Huh? We're Al Bhed. Can't you tell?" Rikku replied, only for a look of worry to creep onto her features when she looked at Sarah. "You two aren't Al Bhed haters, are you?"

"We don't even know what an Al Bhed is…." Sarah said softly with a tired smile.

"Where are you from?"

"Zanarkand. I'm a blitzball player. Star player of the Zanarkand Abes!" Tidus said coolly while doing a kick to show off.

"Did you…hit your head or something?" Rikku said with a sheepish smile, rubbing at her head when Tidus mentioned how they had hit him. "Oh right…So do you remember anything before that?"

Sarah just watched quietly as Tidus started to tell Rikku everything that had happened. What life in Zanarakand was like, blitzball, and Sin's attack…. And how the two of them, along with Auron, were engulfed in a light that some how brought them here.

"Did I…say something funny?" Tidus asked in a soft voice seeing the troubled look on Rikku's face.

"You were near Sin…Don't worry, you both will be better in no time," Rikku encouraged, patting Tidus on his shoulder. "They say your head gets funny when Sin is near. Maybe you just had some kind of dream?"

 _A dream_ Sarah pondered, placing her hand over her chest. But no, that couldn't…be right. Her memories of Zanarkand weren't just an illusion. Or at least, that's what she wanted to believe….

"There is no Zanarakand any more," Rikku told Tidus, her words causing Sarah to feel a chill run down her spine. "Sin destroyed it a thousand years ago. So…no one plays blitzball there."

"Wh-what do you mean a thousand years ago? But I saw Sin attack Zanarkand! You're saying that happened a thousand years ago? No way!" Tidus cried out in frustration.

Rikku bit her lip, looking down for a moment before saying, "You said you play blitzball? You know, you should go to Luca. Someone might know who you and Sarah are, or you might find someone you recognize,"

"Luca?" Tidus muttered, only for Rikku to shake her head and walk away from him for a moment, seeming lost in thought.

"Okay, leave it to me! I'll get you and Sarah to Luca, promise!" Rikku reassured, giving Tidus a small pat on the back before she turned to smile at Sarah. Leaving to go tell the others, Rikku paused for a moment to turn back to face Tidus and Sarah with a small frown. "Oh, and one thing. Don't tell anyone you're from Zanarkand, okay? Yevon says it's a holy place. You might upset someone."

Once Rikku had departed, Sarah and Tidus remained in silence, lost in their own thoughts, but Sarah finally found her voice, breaking it. "So do you think its true? That we've ended up in a place where our home no longer exists….?"

"No way…I won't believe it!" Tidus said defiantly, kicking at the ship, only to cry out when the vessel violently jerked where it caused him to tumble backwards.

"A-are you alright?!" Sarah gasped out, moving toward him on wobbly legs. Her eyes grew large when seeing what looked like a large black fin rising up out of the water, realizing exactly what it was. "Sin…."

The monstrous beast caused a large tidal wave to ram the ship, and Sarah just barely managed to grab Tidus' hand before the two of them were being thrown overboard, sinking to the bottom of the sea.

* * *

"When we awoke, Tidus and me found ourselves floating in clear blue waters with your island luckily close by. We met Wakka, and he's been helping us out ever since we came ashore," Sarah trailed off with a light sigh.

A troubled look was on Yuna's features while her index finger rested against her lower lip. "So then, you must not know if any of the Al Bhed you were with survived?" she questioned softly.

Sarah blinked since she could tell Yuna looked a bit paler, wondering if she was really that worried about the people she had mentioned? "I'm afraid not. But I'm sure they're alright. Rikku and the others seemed very strong,"

"Yes. I'm sure you're right," Yuna agreed with a small smile. "Thank you for telling me your story. I'm glad I was able to learn more about you."

Sarah nodded with a kind smile, noticing Tidus watching the two of them where a knowing gleam shown in her orbs before she stood up. "Guess I'm going to turn in. Good night."

Heading for the inn, Sarah noticed Kimahri leaning against a nearby tree, and she waved at him when their eyes met before she walked into the large hut; a wave of exhaustion overtaking her when she laid down on the bed, falling asleep right when her head hit the pillow.

"I HATE YOU!"

These words caused Sarah to jolt awake where she noticed Tidus sitting up and panting harshly on his bed, beads of sweat running down his face.

"Tidus?" Sarah asked gently, walking over to him where she placed a hand on his trembling shoulder with concern. "Were you…dreaming about dad?"

Tidus just looked down glumly, feeling relieved he didn't have to answer for the sound of voices coming right outside caught both of their attention.

"He's dead, okay. Dead,"

Quietly peeking out of the blue decorative flap beside her brother, Sarah's lips lightly parted when seeing Lulu and Wakka standing outside, and the dark haired female looked livid.

"He does look a lot like Chappu. I was surprised, too, the first time I saw him," Lulu said in such a light voice, that Sarah barely heard her. "But no matter what he looks like, he isn't Chappu. You shouldn't have brought him or his sister here in the first place!"

"Yeah, but…they needed our help!" Wakka told her, his voice almost even more quiet than Lulu's.

"Excuses again?

"Yeah, but…."

"That's it. No more. Enough, Wakka!" Lulu snapped, storming off where she left a dejected looking Wakka behind.

Tidus quickly closed the flap when Wakka slowly started to make his way toward the inn-Sarah giving him an apologetic look when the orange haired male seemed taken aback to see them both up.

"Scary!" Tidus whistled out, crossing his arms over his toned chest. "So, who's Chappu?"

"My little brother, Chappu. He looked like you,"

"He's dead?"

When Wakka moved to sit down on one of the beds, Tidus and Sarah followed him; the tan skinned male remaining silent for a moment before he spoke.

"He was with the Crusader's when they fought Sin last year. He didn't make it," Wakka said somberly. "I first heard on the day of the tournament."

"Oh, so that's why," Tidus said with a sad, but understanding smile.

"I became a guardian, to fight Sin, ya?"

"You…wanted revenge?" Sarah asked quietly.

"That was the idea," Wakka admitted, folding his hands underneath his chin. "I'm more worried about a stupid game now than avenging my brother…Well, after the next tournament, I'll be a guardian full-time. I know it kind of looks like I'm using you, but I'm not."

Tidus shook his head and sent him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I mean, I owe you a lot for helping Sarah and me out. So thanks, Wakka," Tidus trailed off, holding out his hand that was covered with a black glove for him to take.

"Heh heh…! Stop, you're embarrassing me!" Wakka said sheepishly while rubbing at the back of his neck. Yet he took Tidus' hand with a grateful look.

After Wakka parted, telling them both to get some rest, the two managed to easily fall back into dreamless sleeps, waking up at the same time where they exited the inn to find that Wakka was standing with Lulu. It seemed they had maybe made up after their quarrel last night.

"Hey there, sleepyheads! There's something I want to give you," Wakka greeted, holding two swords in his hands.

"Whoa! Your giving this…to me?" Tidus gasped out, staring at the beautiful blue blade that shimmered like the sparkling ocean in awe.

"Yeah. Use it well," Wakka said with a faint smile, watching Tidus as he swung it around.

"That's the sword you gave Chappu," Lulu brought up, the words she spoke making Tidus freeze on the spot.

"Well, he never used it," Wakka said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Anyways, this ones for you, Sarah. It's a gift."

Sarah's orbs sparkled as she stared at her new sword that glimmered just as beautifully as Tidus', yet the blade was golden and shaped similar to a bolt of lightning. "You said this was a gift. From who?"

"Let's just say its secret," Wakka said with a mysterious wink that left Sarah confused. "So, where's Yuna?"

"We're taking the same boat as Yuna, right? Why do we gotta wait here?" Tidus asked with his head tilted.

"Yuna came to this village ten years ago, when the last Calm started. Since then, she's been like a little sister to me and Lulu. But she had the talent…She became an apprentice. Now, today, she leaves as a summoner," Wakka explained.

"This is our journey…We should leave together," Lulu added.

The sound of somebody dragging something that sounded rather large caused the four to turn their focus on the temple where Yuna was trying to drag a suitcase with her.

"You really don't need all that luggage," Lulu told her with a shake of her head.

"Ah, they're not really my things. They're gifts for the temples we're to visit,"

"This isn't a vacation, Yuna," Wakka lightly scolded.

"I guess…I guess you're right," Yuna replied back meekly, looking a bit down-hearted until she made her way toward the group; turning to look back at the temple where she performed a gentle bow before following after everyone.

* * *

Traversing up the dirt path, Sarah was able to test out the new blade she had just received on the many fiends they encountered. While the sword Auron had given her had done well, this weapon was extremely light and much easier to wield. The person who had given it to her clearly had picked a weapon that suited her perfectly, and she couldn't help but feel warm from how thoughtful their gesture was.

It wasn't long until they had reached a high hillside, and Yuna and Lulu walked to the edge where they gazed down at the village of Besaid. Sarah couldn't help but notice that the mood between the two of them seemed a bit solemn when Lulu told Yuna to take all the time she needed.

"What do you thinks going on?" Tidus murmured when Wakka and Lulu shared looks before following after Yuna when she was ready to leave.

"I don't know. Maybe they're just worried about the trip being dangerous," Sarah mentioned thoughtfully, running a hand through her hair. "Come on. We don't want to get left behind."

They had come to a part of the path where ruins were scattered about, only for a loud growl to catch the siblings attention. Sarah gasped when seeing the cat-creature from before leaping across the ruins above, landing on all fours where he slammed his fists on the ground before standing up, sending a threatening roar at Tidus.

"Hey! What's your problem?!" Tidus exclaimed, wincing when his sword clashed with the halberd the beast wielded.

"C-come on! There's no need to fight!" Sarah cried out with a frown, sighing as neither of them were listening to her and were taking turns hitting each other with fast blows.

The sound of footsteps made Sarah perk up, and only when Wakka shouted out, "That's enough!", did Kimahri cease his attacks. Shaking his head when Wakka lightly touched his broad arm before he was walking off.

"What's with that guy?" Tidus huffed out.

"Kimahri Ronso, of the Ronso tribe. He's learned the fiends way of fighting," Lulu said, though her explanation just left both Tidus and Sarah even more perplexed.

"He's another of Yuna's guardians," Wakka mentioned with a light chuckle at the baffled expressions the two wore.

Yuna giggled and placed her hands behind her back. "Sometimes we don't understand him either. Kimahri doesn't talk much anyway. But he has protected me since I was a child!"

Sarah smiled in understanding, realizing Kimahri either attacked Tidus to test his strength to see if he was worthy to come along on the journey. Or perhaps, he didn't fully trust her brother to be around Yuna.

"I'm going to go on ahead." Sarah said, just shaking her head when Tidus let out an "eh?" as she found Kimahri slowly walking further up the path. She smiled gently at him when he stopped to look at her. "Don't you think you should wait on the others? You don't want to leave Yuna behind, right?"

Kimahri's yellow eyes widened a bit, but he just gave a small nod, waiting on the others as he was surprised when Sarah chose to remain by his side when he led the way to the docks instead of staying with that brother of hers. This woman was certainly a mystery.


	4. Chapter 4

(A/N: Sorry about this taking so long XxWolfLord95xX, but I hope you enjoy what I wrote. If there's anything you'd like me to change from the main story line, just let me know. ^_^ And thank you to AyameShirayuki and guest for your reviews. Also to everyone who favorited and followed this story, it means a lot.

* * *

It seemed nearly everyone from the village had gathered on the beach to see off Yuna, showing just how much the young summoner meant to them. Many of the children and elderly were shedding tears, and Sarah frowned sadly at this, figuring it must be due to how dangerous the pilgrimage possibly would be.

A smile was on Yuna's face as she waved goodbye to the villagers, praying before she let out a gentle, "Goodbye", that seemed to hold a hint of sadness within it that she was clearly trying her best to hide.

Soon the ship was setting sail across the calm ocean waves, and everyone took to lounging around the upper deck. Sarah was leaning against the railing, watching the Aurochs who were passing a blitzball to each other and just enjoying the nice breeze. Yet when she noticed Tidus sneaking up on a man with binoculars, a trail of sweat ran down her head when he actually jumped on the poor guy, snatching the instrument from him.

 _Its official_. _My brother is insane_ Sarah realized, giving the blond haired male a bland look when he glanced her way with a playful grin.

When Yuna passed by with Kimahri walking close behind her, the brown haired girl stopped to smile and wave at Tidus. From the glare on Kimahri's face though, it didn't seem like he approved of the teen watching Yuna, and Sarah couldn't help but laugh when Tidus nearly dropped the binoculars.

Kimahri's gaze turned on the blue eyed girl, a bit surprised she seemed amused by the fact that he had clearly frightened her brother, and he nodded at her when she sent him a soft smile that left the ronso feeling confused.

"Man, I was just trying to have some fun…." Tidus muttered childishly as he slouched over to stand next to his sister.

"Keep up that kind of fun, and the passengers might toss you overboard~" Wakka teased with a wink. "But I just realized I haven't told you guys where we're going. First to Kilika Island, then we change boats and head for Luca. 'Fore that though, Yuna's gotta pray at the temple. I'll be guarding."

"We'll be praying for the Aurochs' victory, too, so you come along, ya?" Wakka finished off with a hopeful look.

A small sigh came from Lulu who stood nearby. "Great plan…."

"Hey, it is a great plan!" Wakka huffed out, turning to look at Tidus for confirmation.

"Don't look at me!" Tidus exclaimed, rapidly waving his arms in front of himself and clearly not wanting to get involved in their argument.

Sara chuckled lightly at this before glancing over at Yuna, tilting her head considering nearly all of the passengers on board had surrounded her. "Summoner's must be pretty popular, huh?"

"Yuna's the daughter of High Summoner Braska. You probably saw his statue back at the temple," Wakka explained with a rather serious expression. "Lord Braska defeated Sin ten years ago. Yuna's the heir to a great legacy!"

"It's tough when your father's famous," Tidus spoke up with a heavy sigh, his words causing Wakka to let out a confused 'eh?'.

"Wakka's…a bit lacking in the imagination department," Lulu mentioned in an almost teasing fashion.

Tidus only laughed and grinned at the raven haired woman. "Thanks Lulu. I'll keep that in mind."

When both Lulu and Wakka left, the same being said for the people that had once been around Yuna, a knowing smile appeared on Sarah's face when Tidus scratched at his cheek before moving to stand beside the blue and green eyed girl near the front of the ship.

Noticing Kimahri seemed to be keeping a close eye on the two, Sarah approached him, placing her hands behind her back. "They were laughing just a moment ago, but now they look so serious. Makes me wonder what they're talking about."

"They talk about Jecht and how he was guardian to Yuna's father…."

Sarah blinked multiple times surprised the deep, yet slightly gruff voice had come from Kimahri. She had honestly believed perhaps he never talked, so she felt strangely happy knowing this wasn't the case.

Yet his words also caused her to pause. Jecht was Tidus and her father's name. Did this mean he had some how come to Spira in a similar way they had? That would explain his disappearance so many years ago….

"I see…Maybe it was destiny that Tidus and I met all of you if my dad came here himself," Sarah mused with a small laugh, placing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Kimahri's yellow eyes studied the human girl since he could tell she seemed troubled despite the smile on her lips. "Perhaps Sarah will meet him,"

"I'm not even sure what I'd say to him if I did," she admitted, turning to stare at the sparkling ocean while her hands rested on the railing. She admired the breath-taking sight for a moment before turning to Kimahri. "But I know the first thing dad would do is complain about the beautiful sword you gave me."

The ronso's eyes widened at her words, and Sarah giggled before sending him a kind smile. "So I was right. I just had this feeling the sword was a gift from you. Thank you, Kimahri."

Kimahri just nodded, not really certain how to respond. He had noticed the sword in the small shop on Besaid and had found himself purchasing it for the girl so she would be able to better protect herself. Yet he wasn't entirely sure why considering they had only just met.

Perhaps it was the warmness the girl seemed to radiate that intrigued him? Other than Yuna, most humans looked at him with unease or fear at first, but she never had…Even now, she was giving him such a sweet smile that it left his own heart feeling warm.

A sudden large hit to the ship that made the vessel rock violently, caused the ronso to be pulled out of his thoughts; his blue furred cheeks turning lightly pink since Sarah had been sent crashing into his form.

"S-sorry!" Sarah stammered out, her own face a vibrant pink. She gave the ronso a grateful smile when he placed his slightly large hands on her shoulders to steady her; her attention going immediately on her brother who seemed to be struggling to hold onto Yuna's hand. "Tidus! Yuna!"

Right when Yuna's grip slipped, Kimahri rushed to the brunette's side, holding onto Yuna protectively before she could have possibly fallen overboard.

As the thrashing of the boat became more intense, a giant black fin came shooting up from out of the water, causing the various crewmen and passengers to scream in fear; many of them running for the safety of the hold.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Wakka exclaimed when two men rushed up to the ships defenses, focusing harpoon's on the monster. "Stick a harpoon in him and we'll all get dragged under!"

"Sin is going for Kilika! We gotta distract it!"

"Our families are in Kilika! Forgive us, Lady Summoner!"

Yuna didn't hesitate, nodding her head in agreement; the two harpoons launching toward the massive monster and piercing through its no doubt thick skin where the ship was now being roughly dragged by Sin.

Not only were waves of water crashing down onto the ship, but Sin had released some of its spawn, and Sarah gasped when seeing the same monsters Tidus and her had both fought back on Zanarkand.

"T-Tidus! We won't be able to reach Sin from that distance with our weapons. We should take care of the fiends so they don't attack the passengers!" Sarah yelled out to her brother who had drawn his blade and was staring down Sin with a fierce glare.

"Yeah…Guess your right," Tidus agreed, glancing at Yuna with mild concern before he followed after Kimahri.

Sarah, Tidus and Kimahri took out any fiends that were dispatched onto the docks while Lulu and Wakka dealt with the main threat and Yuna provided the healing for them. When reaching her limit, Yuna summoned Valefor, having her aeon use its special attack, Energy Ray, to deal a massive blow to the creature.

Seeming almost angered, Sin let out a cry similar to that of a whale's, lifting its conch shaped tail up into the air and slamming it down, causing a massive tidal wave before disappearing into the ocean's depths.

It was eerily calm, almost as if Sin had never been there…Sarah had expected Tidus would have made some sort of comment, but he was strangely quiet. In fact, she didn't even see him anywhere.

Realization seemed to dawn on Wakka the same as it had her for he dived into the ocean without a word with Sarah quickly following his lead; the two of them spotting Tidus' unconscious form floating downwards as fiends continuously attacked it.

Wakka threw his blitzball to scare the small arthropod-like fiends away while Sarah gently took hold of her brother's form to keep him from sinking any further. After Wakka tossed a potion to Tidus, he jerked awake where the male looked around confused, only for his orbs to land on Wakka who sent him a thumbs up.

Before they could head for the surface, two clearly terrified dolphins swam by, and it was clear why as a large, mutant-like jellyfish, appeared accompanied by the same small fiends that had attacked Tidus.

Sarah found herself feeling even more grateful toward Kimahri as the lightning attribute that came with her sword did a good amount of damage to the good sized fiend, and through everyone's combined efforts, the jellyfish soon exploded, killing the other fiends around it before dispersing into beautiful particles of light.

* * *

After climbing back onto the ship, Sarah smiled lightly when Yuna offered her lap for an exhausted Tidus to rest his head on before she gazed on sadly at the others who were quietly staring ahead. It was a somber moment, everyone knowing that Sin was attacking Kilika. Even still being a good distance from the island, they could all see a spiraling vortex of debris that clearly came from his onslaught.

"I will defeat Sin…I must defeat Sin," Yuna chanted to herself in a determined voice, staring ahead without any sign of fear.

Sarah placed her hand on her heart when they finally docked, knowing what they were all about to see wouldn't be pleasant, but she felt a large ache forming in her chest seeing the injured being carried into the houses that remained standing. She only prayed that those who had family in Kilika were safe….

Yuna was one of the first to rush off the ship as she bowed before a man and woman who had come to receive her. "Greetings! I am the summoner Yuna. I have come from the temple in Besaid. If there is no other summoner here, please allow me to perform the sending,"

"Aaaah! Thanks be to ye!" the man sighed out in clear relief.

"Our loved ones…We feared they would become fiends!" the woman added in a troubled tone.

"Please, take me to them." Yuna requested softly, following after the couple while Lulu and Kimahri walked closely behind the young girl.

Sarah stood next to Tidus, wondering if it was even right for the two of them to be here? Though Wakka telling the siblings the Auroch's and him were going to see what they could do to help out, made the two glance quietly at each other before heading to an area of the village where everyone seemed to have gathered.

"Uh, what's a 'sending'? Are we going somewhere?" Tidus whispered to Lulu in confusion.

Lulu let out a loud sigh before shaking her head. "You truly are clueless. Are you sure it's just your memory that's the problem?"

Tidus squirmed around uncomfortably while Sarah just sent the black mage a sheepish smile when she turned her impassive gaze on her.

"The dead need guidance," Lulu continued, staring ahead at Yuna who was talking with an old man who was more than likely the head of the village. "Filled with grief over their own death, they refuse to face their fate.

They yearn to live on, and resent those still alive. You see, they envy the living. And in time, that envy turns to anger, even hate. Should these souls remain in Spira, they become fiends that prey on the living. Sad, isn't it? The sending takes them to the Farplane, where they may rest in peace." Lulu concluded, closing her red orbs.

"Summoners do this?" Tidus asked in a quiet voice, turning to look at Yuna when Lulu only nodded.

Despite the solemn mood, the setting was beautiful. The sky was a vibrant pink and orange as the sun set in the distance. Even the coffins had been decorated with pretty red flowers, and Sara was surprised when Yuna began to slowly walk across the ocean before gracefully dancing on top of the deceased.

Sarah couldn't imagine what Yuna had to be feeling. Her own heart was aching just watching those around her weep for their loved ones. And seeing the same beautiful lights, the souls of the dead, circling around Yuna as the water carried her spinning form upwards, tears formed in Sarah's eyes.

Almost seeming to sense Sarah's distraught, Kimahri turned his gaze on her, his eyes becoming sorrowful as he watched the young woman cry on Tidus' shoulder who was hugging his sister in a comforting manner.

It pained him to see the woman looking so distressed when he normally saw her with a smile on her face, and it made him wonder if she'd be able to handle the journey ahead where much more hardships were waiting on them?

Tidus sent his sister a small smile when she pulled away to wipe at her eyes before he looked at Lulu. "It must be tough, being a summoner…."

"Yuna chose her own path. She knew from the beginning what it meant," Lulu replied in her usual serene tone. "All we can do is protect her along the way. Until the end."

"Until the end?" Tidus asked with his head tilted in confusion. "What's the end?"

Everyone who had heard turned to look at Tidus as if they couldn't believe him while Lulu shook her head, letting out a frustrated sigh and walked away. "Until she defeats Sin."

"I hope…I hope I did okay?" Yuna asked timidly as she ran up to Lulu.

"You did very well!" Lulu told her gently, placing a hand on Yuna's shoulder while the other patted at her head. "They've reached the Farplane by now. But…no tears next time, hm?"

Sarah lowered her head, her hair hiding her face while she said in a hushed voice where only Tidus could hear her, "Its sad there even has to be a next time…."

"Yeah, I know what you mean…I'd rather not have to watch another sending," Tidus admitted back in a quiet voice.

"Mom never had anyone send her. Neither did all those in Zanarkand who were killed by Sin…Do you…think they were able to move on without becoming…fiends?"

"I'm sure they did. I mean, things where we come from are different from how things work here." Tidus said reassuringly with a weak grin. Still, it did make him wonder. And it was horrifying thought they might have fought, or could end up fighting against someone they once knew….


	5. Chapter 5

Having shared a guest room with Yuna and Lulu, Sarah had woken up much earlier then her brother, and she glanced at the room he was splitting with Wakka, pondering if she should go wake him up?

"I'd let him sleep just a little longer. Wakka and the other Aurochs' are still helping with repairs around the island, so I'm sure they'll meet up with us later." Lulu spoke up as if reading the brown haired woman's mind.

"Don't tell me they've been working all night?" Sarah asked, her eyes slightly wide.

Yuna nodded with a soft smile. "Wakka said he wanted to help the village with as many repairs as he could before we have to leave for the next temple."

"I just hope he'll still be able to fight if we happen to run into any fiends." Lulu voiced with a shake of her head, walking out the door with Yuna quickly following after the red eyed woman's long strides.

Sarah just scratched at her cheek from Lulu's chastising tone, noticing Kimahri standing at the doorway as she smiled at him and waved, the Ronso merely nodding his head back in greeting; remaining behind the three girls while they made their way for the woods as if to guard them.

Leaning against a nearby white stone that was close to the pathway they would be traversing upon, Sarah lazily played with a strand of her hair, a smile forming on her lips when Yuna approached her.

"Can I ask you a question, Sarah?" Yuna inquired, smiling faintly when the blue eyed girl gave her a small nod. "How would you feel about becoming my guardian?"

"Your guardian?" Sarah said slightly taken back, not noticing that Kimahri's curious gaze had fallen on the two. "Well I'm still getting used to my weapon, but if I can be of any help to you, then of course."

Yuna's blue and green eyes brightened, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks as she looked down. "I really hope your brother will agree, too…"

Sarah smiled faintly, but before she could respond, Tidus and Wakka had arrived where Lulu approached the two and informed the blitzball player about Yuna's wishes.

"Yuna's saying she wants you with us,"

"I want to ask you to be my guardian," Yuna clarified, moving to stand next to the raven haired mage.

"Yuna? What? This is no time for jokes, ya?" Wakka lightly scolded while moving behind the teenager. "Sure Tidus may be a blitzball wiz kid, but up against fiends, he's a newbie."

Yuna looked away, seeming a little bashful before gazing back at Wakka and saying, "Not a guardian then…I just want him nearby."

Wakka almost fell to the ground completely caught off guard by Yuna's confession. Tidus on the other hand looked perplexed, and he ran over to the summoner's side.

"What? What do you mean?"

Yuna looked down, clasping her hands together awkwardly. "It's just that, well…"

"We're all going to the temple anyway. Can't this wait till later?" Lulu brought up, noticing how Yuna was becoming even more uncomfortable during the conversation.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I'm just not really sure what's going on…" Tidus cut in while running a hand through his blond locks; Yuna's soft and slightly sad apology leaving him even more confused as he watched her and the others walk on ahead.

A sigh left Sarah's lips and she walked up to her brother to give the back of his head a rather sharp slap.

"Ow! What the heck was that for?!"

"You can really be dense sometimes. You know that," Sarah scolded, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You should have told her yes. I'm sure she was hoping to hear that from you more than she did me."

"Eh? What do you mean from you?" Tidus asked, rubbing at his lightly sore head. He huffed when his sister only ignored him by walking off, grumbling about how he couldn't understand why women had to be so weird at times, before following after her.

Kilika's woods were filled with fiends, yet the group managed to dispatch any they happened to run into. However, it seemed an incredibly dangerous monster blocked the main path as Luzzu and Gatta stopped the group before they could proceed any further.

"The fiend before us is Ochu, Lord of the wood," Luzzu explained, pointing to a large plant like fiend that was sound asleep. "We've had trouble with this one before. Remember, discretion is the better part of valor."

"Hey! No problem! We can totally handle this guy!" Tidus boasted, running ahead to engage the large fiend in battle, his actions causing Sarah to slap her forehead.

"I feel sorry for you having to deal with someone like that on a daily basis," Lulu said sympathetically while Yuna only giggled at the brash male.

Sarah sent Lulu a weak smile before running forward to help her brother, though it was Kimahri, Lulu, and Yuna's Valefor that ended up dealing the most damage to the fiend, and it was soon falling to the ground before vanishing.

"A summoner and her guardians. Very impressive!" Luzzu praised while Gatta was staring at everyone in pure awe.

"Sir, we should fight, too!" Gatta exclaimed, fired up after witnessing the rather intense battle.

Luzzu patted the younger Crusader's head, telling him, "We'll get our chance soon enough,", chuckling in mild amusement when Gatta ran off singing; giving a small bow to Yuna before pursuing after the tan skinned male.

When reaching the end of the forest, the group came to a long staircase where two of the Aurochs', who had reached the temple before their captain, were exercising half-way up them.

"These stone steps have a history, you know?" Wakka mentioned with a chuckle. "Yep. Lord Ohalland trained here at his peak."

Tidus shook his head since just gazing up at the stairs made him feel a little dizzy, and he raised a brow when the two blitzball members snickered at him. "A race, huh? Think you can beat me."

Wakka grinned at the challenging looks in his fellow blitzers eyes, glancing back at Yuna. "If you would, Yuna."

"Ready!" Yuna exclaimed, only to giggle before running on ahead; leaving a confused Tidus behind while Wakka and the other surprised Auroch's ran after her.

"Hah hah! Kids…" Lulu mused with light amusement in her tone while Kimahri just shook his head at the display.

Sarah let out a small laugh since she never would have guessed Yuna could be the sneaky type, yet the light-hearted scene was abruptly broken when Datto and Letty came rushing back down the stairs, clearly frightened by something.

"Everyone, quick! Sinspawn!" Wakka loudly informed, his words causing Lulu, Kimahri, Tidus, and Sarah to quickly rush to the platform where Yuna and him were.

It was yet another plant based fiend, however this one was covered by a hard shell that protected its body; rendering any physical attacks ineffective. And the tentacles that were coming out of the ground absorbed the spells Lulu cast at its body.

"Guess that means we should deal with those creepy tentacles first…" Sarah mused, aiming an attack at the one on her left while Tidus did the same on his right.

Once again with everyone's combined efforts, it wasn't long before the fiend was disappearing in the strangely beautiful particles; luckily the wounds that it had inflicted on some of the party not being severe.

Even so, it was an exhausting battle, and for Tidus and Sarah who were still not used to confrontation, the ordeal had been a bit harder on them than the others.

"Yeesh!" Tidus complained, bent over while he tried to regain his breath.

"Sorry about that! Hoped to break you two in a little slower," Wakka apologized with a small laugh. "But you and your sis handled yourself pretty well. You've got talent."

"Nah!" Tidus chuckled out while rubbing at the back of his head. "So what are these 'sinspawn' anyway?"

"Fiends. They fall from Sin's body, and are left behind in its wake," Lulu explained briefly, heading on ahead.

"Leave 'em alone, and Sin comes back for 'em. You gotta be quick!" Wakka added, running after Lulu, with Yuna and Kimahri soon following behind them.

Sarah let out a small sigh, glancing over at Tidus as she noticed he appeared lost in thought. She smiled faintly, having a small feeling he was probably pondering over becoming a guardian. Whenever he was told he had a talent in something, he would often pursue after it without hesitation. That was one of the reason he had become a blitzball player. Other than the fact that he wanted to prove he was better than their father at the game…

Grabbing Tidus' hand to pull him on ahead, Sarah blinked since it seemed Yuna and the rest had been waiting on the two of them. And also from the look on Wakka's face, it appeared like he needed to ask them something.

"So uh…they got fiends in Zanarkand, too?"

"Just a few. It's a big deal when one shows up, though," Tidus voiced, walking a little ahead before he turned back to look at Wakka in light shock. "Hey! Since when have you believed me about Zanarkand, anyway?"

"I've been thinking. Maybe people Sin get's to don't die. Maybe Sin carries them through time. Like a thousand years through time," Wakka brought up in a thoughtful, and clearly hopeful tone. "And then just one day, maybe they just pop back up, see?"

"Amazing. Simply amazing," Lulu said in exasperation, placing her hand on her forehead. "You make up one theory after another, refusing to face the simple truth. Sin didn't _take_ Chappu anywhere. Sin crushed him and left him on the Djose shore. Your brother won't just pop back."

Yuna was looking between the two of them in concern, Lulu's next words making Tidus, Sarah, and her flinch. "Oh, and one more thing…No matter how much you want it, no one can take Chappu's place. No one can replace Sir Jecht, for that matter. And there's no replacement for Lord Braska, either. It's pointless to think about it, and sad."

Wakka who had set lotus style on one of the larger steps, looked down and hit his fist on the hard stone. "I…I could never be what Chappu was. Well, stuff happens. Best not to worry."

 _Poor guy_ … _Sounds like a really complicated love triangle_ Sarah thought, watching Wakka with a saddened gaze when he walked off in a dejected manner.

Despite the previous tense atmosphere, Sarah couldn't help but let out a gasp of awe at the temple. It was much more grand than the one on Besaid, with crystal globes containing fire within them surrounding the oddly shaped tan and white building. Even the ground had a clear center with fire inside of it burning brightly.

Before they could head inside the temple, though, three men wearing purple armor-like tops with golden moon design's on them that displayed their broad shoulders and backs, accompanied with grey shorts underneath blue and purple straps that were attached to their shirts along with gladiator like sandals, approached the group-having a stare down with Wakka.

"You here to pray for victory, too?" Wakka asked in a polite tone.

"Us? Pray?" one of the males with red hair, who was the team captain and known as Bickson, scoffed out in a cocky manner. "Who needs to pray. The Luca Goers always win!"

"Oh, yeah? Then why are you here?"

"We've been praying for some competition this year," a male with brownish-blond hair known as Graav answered with a smirk.

"So what's your goal this time? You gonna 'do your best' again?" Bickson mocked. His words causing his teammates to snicker. "Ha! It's too bad your best isn't good enough! Why even bother showing up?"

"This time, we play to win!" Tidus cried out with confidence, glaring at the smug males.

"Oooh! Play away! Just remember even kids can play, boys~" Bickson continued to torment, laughing the entire time he and his team walked off.

"See you in the finals!" Wakka exclaimed, waving in a friendly manner.

Tidus just scowled, placing a hand on his hip. "We'll beat them. We have to!"

"You know that team?" Yuna asked curiously, her head tilting to the side.

Lowering his head, Tidus' right hand was clenching and unclenching at his side. "Putting people down…They're as bad as my old man!"

"But, Sir Jecht was a kind and gentle man!" Yuna gasped out.

"Well, not my Jecht…"

Yuna glanced over at Sarah who just shook her head with a sad smile, causing the brown eyed summoner to let out a downcast sigh. Part of Sarah did want to defend her father, but Tidus was right and had every reason to be angry with Jecht. Even she wasn't sure if she would ever fully forgive him….

Entering into the dim lighted temple, Sarah wrapped her arms around her body since while the area was calming, it also had a somber feeling to it…And she couldn't help but wonder if all the temples were like this? Her attention had been on Wakka and Tidus who were praying, so it was no wonder she jumped slightly when the loud doors to the Cloister of Trials opened.

Two figures, a woman with dark skin and hazel eyes-her raven hair done up in a bun and trailing into a ponytail adorned with a feathery blue-white band, and dressed in rather revealing attire along with a tall and muscular male with short brown hair and half-closed eyes, emerged and peered down at the group.

"A summoner? Are you?" the woman questioned as she and her guardian made their way down the steps.

"My name is Yuna-from the isle of Besaid,"

"Dona…So, you're High Summoner Braska's daughter. That's quite a name to live up to," Dona claimed, clicking her tongue and shaking her head. "And all these people are your guardians? My, what a rabble! As I recall, Lord Braska had only two guardians. Quality over quantity, my dear. Whatever were you thinking? I have only need of one guardian. Right, Barthello?"

"Just what's your problem?" Sarah asked, narrowing her eyes at Dona and making Tidus gulp as he grabbed onto his sisters arm since the girl looked ready to walk over and punch Dona.

The older summoner just smirked and laughed behind her hand. "And it seems your guardian's have no manners either,"

"E-easy there, sis!" Tidus said with a nervous laugh when Sarah let out a growl, Wakka now having to help him hold onto the blue eyed girl who was a lot stronger than she looked.

Yuna smiled faintly at Sarah before frowning at Dona. "It's fine, Sarah. And Lady Dona, please do not insult my guardians…All those with me are people that I trust. And I trust them all with my life! To have so many guardians is a joy, and an honor! Even more so than being my father's daughter…Of course, I would never think of questioning your ways, either. So Lady Dona, I ask of you: please leave us in peace…"

"You do what you want. Barthello, we're leaving." Dona muttered out with a small scoff before striding off.

Tidus sighed once that was over, confused to why Yuna had smiled at him before she made her way into the Cloister, and he glanced over at his sister. "I can't believe that woman got you so worked up…"

"I suppose I know how you felt when it came to the Luca Goers…I didn't like how that woman was judging Yuna simply because of her birthright…." Sarah murmured while following Tidus inside of the small room.

Yuna and the others were already standing on the platform that would lower them down to the trials, yet when Tidus tried to step on the elevator, Kimahri shoved him right back off, causing the teen to nearly fall to the ground.

"Hey, what gives?!"

"You and your sister aren't official guardian's yet." Lulu answered simply.

"Um…we'll be back as soon as we can, okay?" Yuna apologized with a small smile.

Tidus scowled, crossing his arms over his chest while the platform descended. "Oh, sure! Soon like 'tomorrow' soon, I bet!"

Sarah let out a sigh, patting her grumbling sibling on the shoulder before heading toward the door. "We might as well head back outside to wait…"

Before the blue eyed woman could exit, she backed up when the large man, Barthello, entered the room, closely followed by Dona.

"Where's Yuna?" Dona inquired, her brow lifting up when Tidus merely pointed at the elevator. "Then why are you here?"

"Hey, we're not guardian's, so we're not supposed to go in, right?"

"Oh? Not a guardian, you say?" Dona hummed out, the look on the woman's face making Sarah frown.

"Tidus!" Sarah gasped out when Barthello easily lifted him up and tossed him onto the circular stone, and she rushed over to make sure that he was alright. "Just what are you two up to?!"

"Just think of it as a little game~" Dona chuckled out, a cold smile on her lips when Sarah and Tidus were being lowered.

"This is bad. Really bad…" Tidus mumbled, stepping on and off the platform, but it made no signs of rising back to the surface.

"Looks like we have no choice but to head further into the trials…" Sarah said softly while rubbing at her arm as they approached two large doors. She just hoped that Tidus and her presence wouldn't cause any trouble for Yuna and the rest.

Kilika's Cloister of Trials was slightly more complex then the one back on Besaid, and considering the orbs would often times make random fire appear, the two ended up having to be extra careful.

With some quick thinking, Tidus and Sarah managed to solve the puzzle, even finding a chest that contained a red armlet within it, before making their way through the room and into the inner sanctum.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Wakka exclaimed when noticing you two, a panicked look on his tan features.

"It was Dona and that big muscle head man!" Tidus explained awkwardly while rubbing at the top of his head.

Sarah nodded with a small frown. "Not only did they block our path, but Barthello threw Tidus onto the platform…"

"Even so, Yuna will be the one to suffer the consequences!" Lulu scolded.

"Consequences?" Sarah asked quietly, biting at her lip when Wakka mentioned she could be excommunicated.

Tidus shuffled on his feet before clearing his throat, deciding to try and change the tender subject as he pointed at the rather grand looking door, "So uh, what's in there anyways?"

"The fayth, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that thing. Right…"

"The fayth are people who gave their lives to battle Sin," Lulu made known. "Yevon took their souls, willingly given from their still-living bodies. Now they live forever, trapped in statues. But when a summoner beckons, the souls of the fayth emerge once again. That's what we call an aeon."

"All that in this room?" Tidus said surprised, his eyes slightly wide. Sarah on the other hand frowned and gazed down at the floor since she found the story sad. That these people had chosen to never rest in peace in order to help there fellow summoner's battle Sin.

"S-so what's Yuna doing in there?"

"She prays with all her heart for a way to defeat Sin," Wakka said barely above a whisper.

Not too long after Wakka had said this, Yuna soon emerged, slightly wobbly on her feet, and she ended up falling to her knees. Even if she was only praying, it must have taken a lot out of her…

Though Wakka and Lulu had been upset that Sarah and Tidus had entered the Cloister of Trials, Yuna merely smiled gently at the two, reassuring the others that she was okay as she made her way for the exit after Wakka had helped her up.

"Hey, sis? This song…you recognize it too, right?" Tidus voiced softly when they were alone.

"Yes. From when we were younger," Sarah agreed with a small smile. "Perhaps Spira and Zanarkand are more connected than we realized…"

"Yeah…You know, I'm starting to feel…a little homesick…" Tidus confessed, his head hanging where Sarah couldn't see his the expression his face held, but she had heard his voice crack just a little.

She wrapped her arm around his shoulders in a comforting hug to let him know she understood how he felt before the two of them were leaving the temple together.

Standing back while Tidus moved forward, getting lost in thought as he watched Yuna who had been surrounded by people praising her and cheering her own, Sarah smiled faintly since Kimahri was standing not far from the summoner.

"Oh, Kimahri. We found this in the temple. It looks like something that would suit you," Sarah said, holding out the blue tribal like shield for the Ronso to take.

Kimahri's eyes widened from surprise as he carefully took the medium sized armlet from Sarah's smaller hand, noticing the design on it made it fireproof. It would certainly come in handy for any fire based fiends they happened to run into.

"Kimahri thanks you." he said in a low voice, a small smile on his face.

Sarah nodded with a gentle smile, but before she could say anything more to the ronso, she flinched hearing Tidus suddenly screaming, noticing the others looking back at him as if the teen had lost his mind.

"I should probably go check on him." Sarah mused, scratching at her cheek while Kimahri merely shook his head at the odd male. Though as he watched the brunette looking over her brother in light concern, his stern façade slightly softened at the woman's kind nature.


End file.
